Free Things to Do in London: Museums, Landmarks, Street Art & Walks
London has a reputation for being an expensive city, so one of the biggest surprises during my two weeks there was discovering just how many of its best experiences cost absolutely nothing.
I was volunteering through Worldpackers and living aboard a houseboat, which gave me more time than the typical three- or four-day visitor to explore London on foot. Some days I went looking for specific attractions. Other days I simply picked an area and walked.
What I discovered is that you don't need to spend a fortune to experience London.
I walked through world-class museums, stood outside Buckingham Palace, crossed Tower Bridge, searched for street art, explored Harry Potter locations, wandered through historic markets and spent hours walking beside the River Thames.
Many of those experiences were completely free.
If you're trying to experience London without spending money on every attraction you pass, these are some of the best free things to do in London.
1. Explore the British Museum for Free
This was probably the biggest surprise of my trip.
The British Museum is free.
Not a small local museum or a limited portion of the collection. One of the great museums of the world allows visitors to explore its permanent collection without paying admission.
I honestly had no idea before visiting.
Inside, you'll find artifacts spanning thousands of years of human civilization, including the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies, enormous sculptures, Japanese artifacts, ancient Greek and Roman collections, and the famous moai from Easter Island.
The Great Court alone is worth seeing. Its enormous glass roof creates one of the most impressive interior spaces I saw in London.
I expected the museum to be interesting. It ended up being one of my favorite experiences in the city.
Reserve Your Free British Museum Ticket Online
Although general admission is free, reserve a timed ticket online before you go.
The British Museum recommends advance reservations and gives ticket holders priority entry during busy periods. Walk-up admission is available, but visitors without reservations can face longer waits when the museum is crowded.
So "free" doesn't mean you shouldn't plan ahead.
Reserve your free ticket, arrive at your scheduled time and give yourself at least a few hours inside.
Cost: Free for the permanent collection
Allow: 2–4+ hours
2. Visit the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square
Another remarkable free London experience is the National Gallery.
Located directly on Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery houses one of the world's great collections of Western European paintings.
You'll find works associated with artists including Van Gogh, Monet, Turner, Rembrandt, Raphael and many others.
And once again, general admission is free.
If you're already exploring central London, the location makes this particularly easy to include. Trafalgar Square itself is worth visiting, so you can walk through the square and then step inside the National Gallery without adding another admission charge to your day.
You don't have to be an art expert to appreciate it.
Walk through, find the artists or periods that interest you, and spend as much—or as little—time as you want.
Book a Free National Gallery Ticket
The National Gallery currently recommends booking a free general-admission ticket online in advance. Walk-up entry is available, but the advance ticket provides fast-track entry.
Some special exhibitions require paid tickets, but viewing the main collection remains free.
Cost: Free general admission
Allow: 1–3 hours
Combine with: Trafalgar Square, The Mall and Buckingham Palace
3. Create Your Own Free Walking Tour of London's Famous Landmarks
You could spend a lot of money taking sightseeing tours around London. Or you can simply walk.
This became one of my favorite ways to experience the city.
Central London has an extraordinary concentration of famous landmarks, and several can be connected into one long walking route.
A great first-time route can include:
Big Ben
Houses of Parliament
Westminster
Westminster Bridge
London Eye
Trafalgar Square
The Mall
St. James's Park
Buckingham Palace
You don't need admission tickets to appreciate these places.
Seeing Big Ben from Westminster Bridge, walking toward Buckingham Palace or standing across the Thames from the London Eye gives you some of the classic London experiences without spending anything.
And walking gives you something a tour bus doesn't: the ability to stop whenever something catches your attention.
4. See Buckingham Palace Without Paying for a Tour
You don't need to tour Buckingham Palace to experience it.
Walking through St. James's Park and approaching the palace is one of the classic first-time London experiences, and seeing the exterior costs nothing.
One photography tip can also make the experience considerably better. Instead of immediately fighting your way toward the palace fence with everyone else, walk toward the Victoria Memorial directly in front of Buckingham Palace.
The raised area around the memorial gives you a wider perspective of the palace and can make it much easier to get a good photograph without trying to shoot through a crowd pressed against the gates.
Afterward, walk down The Mall or through St. James's Park.
Cost: Free to view from outside
Allow: 30–60 minutes
5. Walk Across Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is another iconic London attraction you can experience without buying a ticket.
You can pay to visit the Tower Bridge Exhibition and its elevated walkways, but you don't need to do that to enjoy the bridge itself.
Walking across Tower Bridge at street level is free.
Take your time crossing and enjoy views of the Thames and the surrounding London skyline.
And remember: Tower Bridge and London Bridge are not the same thing.
Tower Bridge is the spectacular Victorian bridge with the two large towers that most first-time visitors picture when they think of a famous London bridge.
Cost: Free to walk across
Allow: 20–30 minutes, longer for photographs
6. Walk Along the River Thames
Walking the Thames may be one of London's best completely free experiences.
It's also one of the easiest ways to connect multiple attractions without constantly disappearing underground onto the Tube.
Depending on where you start and how far you want to walk, you can see:
Big Ben
Houses of Parliament
London Eye
Westminster Bridge
Tate Modern
Millennium Bridge
Shakespeare's Globe
Tower Bridge
Tower of London from outside
The best part is that you don't really need an itinerary. Start walking.
Cross a bridge when something on the opposite bank looks interesting. Stop for photographs. Sit beside the river for a while. Take a side street and see where it goes.
Some of my favorite experiences in London came from simply having enough time to wander.
7. Find London's Street Art on a Self-Guided Walk
London's street-art scene provides a completely different experience from Buckingham Palace and the major museums.
I spent time searching for street art, including locations associated with Banksy.
You don't need to pay for a guided street-art tour to enjoy it.
Use your phone to identify a few locations, create your own route and start walking.
Just remember that street art is constantly changing. Pieces disappear, new murals appear and buildings are repainted, so verify any specific artwork you particularly want to see shortly before your trip.
Don't Miss the Leake Street Graffiti Tunnel
One of the easiest street-art locations to include in a first-time London itinerary is the Leake Street Graffiti Tunnel near Waterloo Station.
The tunnel became famous following Banksy's 2008 Cans Festival and has developed into a constantly changing canvas for street artists.
It's particularly convenient because it's close to both Waterloo Station and the London Eye.
Walk through slowly rather than simply heading from one end to the other. The artwork covers an enormous amount of space, and what you see could be completely different from what someone saw a few weeks earlier.
Cost: Free
Best for: Street art, photography and something different from traditional sightseeing
8. Explore Leadenhall Market
Leadenhall Market looks like an attraction you should have to pay to enter.
You don't.
The ornate Victorian market is free to walk through and is worth visiting for the architecture alone.
Its beautiful painted roof, cobblestone passages and historic storefronts create one of London's most photogenic spaces.
Harry Potter fans have an additional reason to visit.
Leadenhall Market was used as a filming location in the first Harry Potter movie, including the area associated with the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.
Even if you don't care about Harry Potter, go for the architecture.
Cost: Free
Allow: 30–60 minutes
Combine with: Tower Bridge and the City of London
9. Visit Platform 9¾ at King's Cross
Here's another fun London experience that doesn't require an admission ticket.
At King's Cross Station, Harry Potter fans can visit the famous Platform 9¾ trolley disappearing into the wall.
You can take your own photograph for free.
There is also an official photographer and Harry Potter Shop if you want to spend money, but neither is required to visit the location or take your own photograph.
This is obviously much more meaningful if you're a Harry Potter fan, but that's exactly what makes London interesting.
You can build parts of your itinerary around the books, movies, music and history that mean something to you.
Cost: Free with your own camera
Allow: 30–60 minutes depending on the queue
10. Explore Trafalgar Square
Since you're already visiting the National Gallery, don't rush through Trafalgar Square.
It's one of London's great public spaces and costs nothing to explore.
Nelson's Column dominates the center of the square, surrounded by fountains, statues and some of London's most recognizable architecture.
It's also an excellent connecting point for a free walking day. From here, you can continue toward The Mall and Buckingham Palace or head toward Westminster and the Thames.
11. Walk Through St. James's Park
London's parks provide another way to slow down without spending money.
St. James's Park is particularly useful for first-time visitors because of its location between several major attractions.
Rather than treating it as another item on a sightseeing checklist, use the park as your walking route toward Buckingham Palace.
It gives you a break from traffic and crowded streets while still moving you toward your next destination.
And sometimes that's exactly what you need after several hours of sightseeing.
12. See the London Eye Without Riding It
The London Eye isn't free to ride. But seeing it certainly is.
I walked to the London Eye while exploring the Thames, and you don't need to buy a ticket to appreciate the enormous observation wheel or get great photographs of it.
In fact, some of the best photographs aren't taken from directly underneath it.
Walk along the opposite side of the Thames or across Westminster Bridge and incorporate the London Eye into the wider London skyline.
If riding it is important to you, buy a ticket.
If it isn't, don't feel like you've missed the landmark simply because you didn't pay to go up.
How to Spend a Full Day in London for Almost Nothing
You can combine several of these attractions into a day that costs very little beyond food and transportation.
Morning: British Museum
Reserve an early free ticket and spend two or three hours exploring the museum.
Late Morning: Trafalgar Square and National Gallery
Walk toward Trafalgar Square and visit the National Gallery.
Afternoon: Buckingham Palace
Continue through central London toward St. James's Park and Buckingham Palace.
Late Afternoon: Westminster and the Thames
Walk toward Westminster, see Big Ben and Parliament, cross toward the London Eye and continue along the Thames.
At that point you've experienced two world-class museums and several of London's most famous landmarks without paying admission to any of them.
That's what surprised me most about London.
It can absolutely be expensive—but it doesn't have to be.
Tips for Finding More Free Things to Do in London
Don't assume that London's most famous attractions require admission.
Check first.
Several of London's major museums have free general admission, while many landmarks can be enjoyed perfectly well from outside.
Also think geographically.
Instead of taking the Tube from attraction to attraction, group nearby places together and walk between them. You'll save transportation costs while discovering parts of London you would otherwise travel underneath.
Finally, don't mistake "free" for "second best."
The British Museum wasn't one of my favorite London attractions because it was free.
It was one of my favorite attractions, period.
The fact that it was free was simply an incredible bonus.
Frequently Asked Questions About Free Things to Do in London
What are the best free things to do in London?
For a first-time visitor, I would put the British Museum, National Gallery, walking along the Thames, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and a self-guided street-art walk near the top of the list.
Is the British Museum really free?
Yes. General admission to the British Museum's permanent collection is free. Advance reservations are recommended because pre-booked visitors receive priority entry during busy periods.
Is the National Gallery in London free?
Yes. General admission to the National Gallery's permanent collection is free. Some temporary exhibitions require paid tickets.
Can you visit Buckingham Palace for free?
You can see Buckingham Palace and explore the surrounding area for free. Tours of the palace interior are a separate paid experience when available.
Is Tower Bridge free?
Walking across Tower Bridge at street level is free. The Tower Bridge Exhibition and elevated walkways require tickets.
Can you see London street art for free?
Absolutely. Areas such as the Leake Street Graffiti Tunnel can be explored independently without paying for a tour.
Can you visit Platform 9¾ for free?
Yes. You can visit the Platform 9¾ trolley at King's Cross and take your own photograph for free. Professional photographs and merchandise are optional purchases.
Final Thoughts: Some of the Best Things in London Really Are Free
Before visiting London, I expected sightseeing to become expensive quickly.
Instead, some of my favorite experiences cost absolutely nothing.
I stood in front of the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum. I walked through galleries filled with famous paintings. I crossed Tower Bridge, wandered beside the Thames, searched for street art, explored Leadenhall Market and walked up to Buckingham Palace.
None required an admission fee.
That's important for more than simply saving money.
Free attractions give you the freedom to explore differently. You don't feel obligated to spend three hours somewhere because you paid £30 to get inside. You can walk into a museum, explore what interests you, leave when you're ready and continue discovering the city.
So if you're planning your first trip and London's prices are making you nervous, don't assume you need a huge sightseeing budget.
Bring comfortable shoes.
Reserve the free attractions that offer timed entry.
Then start walking.
London gives you an extraordinary amount to see before you've spent your first pound on admission.
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